WWE TLC 2011 was supposed to be a stinker. TLC--meaning Tables, Ladders,
and Chairs--is an annual, second-tier pay-per-view event that was established in
2009. It's usually a mere gap-bridger between Survivor Series and Royal Rumble.
By showtime this year, much of the card was still a mystery to live viewers. Not even
WWE's top superstar, John
Cena, bothered to make an appearance at such a laughably small event. Expectations
for TLC 2011 were abysmal. The wrestlers, however, accepted the challenge and put
together a pay-per-view that had no business being this fun to watch.

The full card is listed below:

Dolph Ziggler (U.S. Champion) vs. Zack Ryder

Air Boom (Tag Team Champions) vs. Epico and Primo

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

Beth Phoenix (Divas Champion) vs. Kelly Kelly

Kevin Nash vs. Triple H

Jack Swagger vs. Sheamus

Mark Henry (World Heavyweight Champion) vs. Big Show

Cody Rhodes (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Booker T

CM Punk (WWE Champion) vs. The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio

By definition, TLC 2011 is packed with violent gimmick matches although one
match, featuring a sledgehammer, nearly derails the show. The premise is solid:
an ominous sledgehammer dangles above the ring, just out of reach. The first wrestler
to set a ladder, climb up, and untie the sledgehammer is free to pound his opponent
into a lifeless flesh-bag of bone mash. Sounds awesome, right? Unfortunately the
WWE booked the two most boring main eventers in history, Triple H and Kevin Nash,
to stall and stagger their way to another paycheck. This match, combined with the
Diva match, nearly wrecks the momentum of a hot event. Thankfully, the other matches
on the card pull the dead weight out of the grave to make TLC 2011 a surprising
success.

The Match of the Night is the Triple Threat-TLC main event for the WWE Title. In
this match CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, and The Miz face the immense challenge of filling
the super-massive black hole left by John Cena's conspicuous absence. I never grasped
the logic behind Triple Threat
matches. Why would a champion put his title on the line in a match where he can lose without being pinned.
This main event is also a TLC match which eliminates the logic gap, but still
lessens the champion's odds of winning. My peeve with Triple Threat matches
aside, the action-packed title bout features
several unique twists including a spot where Miz handcuffs CM Punk to a turnbuckle.
The Miz, of course, blows his golden opportunity by simply being The Miz. Every wrestler
in this match puts on a brilliant performance and proves that they more than capable
of carrying a main event without John Cena.

Coming in at a close second for match of the night is the WWE Tag Team Championship
match, Air Boom vs. Primo and Epico. Without any gimmicky props to serve as a crutch,
the two teams put on a show that evokes nostalgic memories of classic, 80's style,
tag team matches. Other highlight matches include Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder for
the U.S. Championship and Big Show vs. Mark Henry for the storied World Heavyweight
Title.

The DVD

Sound: The DVD contains an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track and a Spanish
track. The English track is solid, but the mix does not serve the audience justice.
The crowd should act as another character throughout the show, adding an almost
tangible buzz to the in-ring action. At times the crowd noise is barely audible
and makes the event feel dead. Maybe the crowd was just sitting on their hands for
much of the night. However, on numerous occasions the crowd pops and the accompanying
noise doesn't seem to match.

Video: The video is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Instances
of minor artifacting are abundant throughout the DVD, especially in the crowd. But
it never distracts from the wrestling action. Overall, the video quality is on par
with other wrestling pay-per-view DVD's.

Extra: I say "extra" because even the menu option is the singular label,
"Special Feature." Included is a solitary, two-minute interview with Daniel Bryan.
If you do not already know the TLC 2011 results, then do not watch this interview
until after the main feature. It completely spoils the best part of the entire event.

Bottom Line: TLC 2011 exceeds all expectations and is a reminder of
why we love professional wrestling. Even knowing the results beforehand does not
diminish entertainment value of watching this card unfold. A couple of lumbering
middle matches hurt, but do not destroy TLC's momentum. Most of the matches
are an incredible display of expert professionals performing in the prime of their
careers. Chock-full of title-swaps, clean wins, swerves, and awesome in-ring action,
this event is mandatory viewing for any WWE fan--hardcore or casual. Recommended.